WELCOME TO MY SPACE — A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

To The One Who Enters Here,

Whether you arrive physically, digitally, or spiritually—know this first:

You have stepped into a space that is intentional.

This is not just a webpage, not just an office, not just a voice in cyberspace.
This is a place where words are meant to mean what they say, where truth is sought, spoken, and protected, and where the presence of those who enter is acknowledged—not overlooked.

WHO I AM

I stand before you as a woman of faith, a builder of systems, and a steward of my own domain.

I am aligned with the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, not as a label, but as a way of living. To me, faith is not something to be marketed, simplified, or repackaged—it is something to be lived daily, spoken honestly, and carried with integrity.

I believe in God.
I trust in His order.
I recognize His hand in history, in land, and in people.

I was raised with an understanding that truth is not always easy, not always popular, and not always protected by the systems of the world—but it is still truth.

THE FOUNDATION I STAND ON

My understanding of the world is not fragmented into isolated events—it is connected.

I recognize the movement of people and purpose through time:

  • The Mormon Battalion crossing lands that were not yet defined by the borders we now accept
  • The shaping of the West through the Mexican–American War
  • The fracture of a nation during the American Civil War
  • And the resilience of a people remembered through Cinco de Mayo, born from the Battle of Puebla

These are not disconnected stories.
They are threads in the same fabric—revealing how land, identity, faith, and power interact across generations.

I also recognize that before these lands were called the “New World” by Europe, they were already ancient lands inhabited by peoples and civilizations with deep knowledge of the earth, water, trade, stewardship, and spiritual life.

The Americas were never empty.

To me, scripture itself is more than isolated verses on a page. Scripture is a preserved witness across generations—records of people, prophecy, covenant, warning, and remembrance. It is humanity trying to preserve truth through time.

Within my faith, I believe Jesus Christ ministered not only in Jerusalem, but also upon this continent after His resurrection, as recorded in the Book of Mormon. I understand others may not share that belief, but I do not separate Christ from the whole world or from the peoples of the Americas.

I do not claim to control history.
But I do claim the right to seek understanding, ask questions, preserve my voice, and continue learning from the records and experiences passed down through generations.

A MOMENT IN HISTORY — 1862

The year 1862 marked a powerful convergence in history—one that many overlook.

While the United States was deeply divided in the American Civil War, with Robert E. Lee taking command of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac facing repeated battles in the East, something equally significant was happening beyond its southern border.

On May 5, 1862, Mexico achieved a remarkable victory at the Battle of Puebla, defeating the forces of Napoleon III’s French Empire. This victory is what we now recognize as Cinco de Mayo.

Did you notice that?

While “America” was fighting within itself—North, South, and the tensions of a growing nation—Mexico was standing firm against European intervention.

These moments were not isolated.

They reveal a continent in motion:

  • A nation divided internally
  • A neighboring nation defending its sovereignty
  • And global powers attempting to influence both

Today, Cinco de Mayo is often celebrated more widely in the United States than in Mexico itself, especially among Mexican American communities. But its origin remains rooted in resilience, identity, and standing firm in the face of overwhelming force.

WHAT THIS SPACE IS — AND IS NOT

This space is:

  • A place of ownership—my words are my own
  • A place of clarity—what is said here is meant, not manipulated
  • A place of expression—faith, thought, and lived experience are welcome

This space is not:

  • A platform for twisting or rewriting what I say
  • A place where outside systems override my voice
  • A domain where meaning is reduced to fit someone else’s narrative

In the world of Facebook, Google, and X, I understand that content is filtered, reshaped, and sometimes restricted.

That is not this place.

Here, I operate differently.

MY BELIEF ABOUT ZION

To me, Zion is not a distant destination.
It is not something reserved for a single group or a future moment.

Zion is:

  • A condition of the heart
  • A way of living
  • A presence that can exist wherever truth, unity, and accountability are honored

I recognize historical efforts like the State of Deseret, but I do not limit Zion to borders that were accepted or denied.

Zion is not confined.

And I will not confine it.

A NOTE ON RESPECT AND ENTRY

If you are here:

  • Come with honesty
  • Come with respect
  • Come with a willingness to listen as much as you speak

You are not required to agree with me.
You are not required to share my beliefs.

But you are required to understand that:

This is my domain.

Just as I do not enter another’s space to rewrite their words, I expect the same in return.

WHY THIS EXISTS

This space exists because I refuse to let my voice be lost in systems that do not fully carry it.

It exists because:

  • Words matter
  • Truth matters
  • Faith matters
  • Ownership matters

And because I have learned—through experience—that if you do not define your space, someone else will define it for you.

FINAL WORD

If you have arrived here seeking conflict, you will find boundaries.
If you have arrived here seeking understanding, you will find conversation.
If you have arrived here seeking truth, you will find my honest attempt to live it.

You are welcome here—
as long as you honor the space you have entered.

With clarity and conviction,
— K. Kirton Niner